A borough councillor has been fined £300 after his 32kg dog attacked two people in Addlestone.

Runnymede Borough Council's longest-serving councillor, John Edwards, 65, was told by a judge that his six-year-old ridgeback-cross, Ruby, would be put down if he failed to ensure she was muzzled in public or on a leash when being walked on a highway.

Mr Edwards appeared at North Surrey Magistrate's Court in Staines on Wednesday(August 13) where he admitted two counts of having a dog that injured someone while out of control and one charge of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control.

Prosecutor, Manjit Bath, told District Judge Tim Workman that the first incident related to May 23 when Margaret Smithers was walking along Corrie Road at about 8.50pm.

She said: "She was walking outside The Hub when she recognised someone she knew to be a local councillor, John Edwards, walking a dog on two leads.

"The dog looked to be pulling Mr Edwards along.

"She stopped to speak about the election and the dog leaped up and bit her on the upper left arm.

"Mr Edwards told her it had never bitten anyone before."

Ms Bath then told the court that Ms Smithers subsequently spoke to a number of other people in the community about what happened and two people said they had experienced similar.

Rescue dog

Barbara Whitehead told how Mr Edwards' dog lunged at her a couple of weeks earlier in Station Road and she feared it would bite her.

The court was told six weeks earlier, Robert Pemberton had been walking in Corrie Road near Spittles when he saw Mr Edwards walking his dog.

She said: "The dog suddenly jumped up and bit him on the elbow."

The court was told both victims suffered small bruising from the attacks.

Defending, Jo Morris, said to Judge Workman: "Mr Edwards maintains that he had thought the first incident was just was just a case of jumping and was not aware that it had caused any injury."

The court was told that following the incident with Ms Smithers, the defendant visited a vet, who recommended a therapist and Mr Edwards bought a muzzle which he has used since.

The dog was adopted from the RSPCA at 10-months-old and no history of any sort of aggression was given by the society at the time, the court heard.

Ms Morris added that Mr Edwards had an unblemished character until this point and had never come to the attention of the law before.

Judge Workman said he felt the defendant was "eminently suitable" for dog ownership and issued a contingency destruction order, that meant the dog would be put down if it was found to be in public without a muzzle or on the public highway without a lead.